Anti-smudging element for air outlet device



Aug. 27, 1957' 2,804,607

ANTI- SMUDGING ELEMENT FOR AIR OUTLET DEVICE I F. J. KURTH' Filed May25, 1951 BY f? A ORNEY Unite States atent Office ANTI-SMUDGING ELEMENTFOR AIR OUTLET DEVICE Franz J. Kurth, Mamaroneck, N. Y., assignor toAnemostat Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation ofDelaware Application May 25, 1951, Serial No. 228,210 11 Claims. or.98-40) This invention relates to ventilating apparatus, and hasparticular reference to ceiling or wall anti-smudging elements for usein association with the air outlet devices of such apparatus.

A commonly used type of air outlet device for ventilating apparatus isone which has its air outlet end located more or less in advance of theexposed surface of a ceiling or wall and which acts to effect more orless lateral deflection of air across the surrounding ceiling or wallarea. The air delivered from the device may contain dust particles or itmay pick up dust particles from the air contained in the room or otherenclosure into which it is delivered. In either case flow of air fromthe air outlet device over the surrounding ceiling or wall area usuallyproduces, sooner or later, on said area an unsightly settling or depositof dust, or smudge, which is most pronounced adjacent to the air outletdevice and which gradually diminishes outwardly therefrom.

Most ceilings and walls have more or less rough surfaces and are more orless porous. Therefore, they retain dust which penetrates their poresand are difiicult if not impossible to clean, especially. in cases whereconsiderable amounts of dust settle or are deposited thereon inrelatively small areas as, for example, in surrounding relationship toair outlet devices.

It is in association with air outlet devices of the type mentioned thatthe present anti-smudge element particularly is designed for use, andthe purpose of said element is to reduce and largely to eliminatesettling or deposit of dust or so-called smudging of ceilings or Wallsin surrounding relationship to the air outlet devices due to fiow of airfrom the latter.

' The present anti-smudging element is in the form of a relatively widering or plate of circular, square or other shape, depending upon theshape of the air outlet device with which it is intended for use, and isdesigned to be mounted in surrounding or partially surroundingrelationship to an associated air outlet device in covering relationshipto that portion of a ceiling or wall which ordinarily is subjected tomost pronounced smudging whereby said ceiling or wall portion isshielded. against .smudging. In accordance with the invention said ringor plate preferably is mounted so that it may readily be removed forcleaning and preferably is formed from a material which may easily becleaned.

It has been found that a stream of air flowing adjacent to any givensurface is attracted toward that surface due, no doubt, to the streamtending to carry along with it air between the stream and the surfaceflowing over any given surface parallel or substantially parallelthereto has far less tendency to deposit dust upon the surface than astream of air directed more or less against the surface. Therefore,s1nce air is attracted toward a surface adjacent to which it flows, andsince air flowing more or less parallel to a surface has less tendencyto effect smudging of the surface, a special and important object of thepresent invention is to shape the front or exposed surface of thepresent antismudging ring or plate so that, either alone or inconjunction with a finishing flange at the front end of the outermostmember of an air outlet device with which said ring or plate is used, itacts to attract air flowing more or less laterally outward from the airoutlet device toward itself and to direct the air first rearwardlytoward the surrounding ceiling or wall area and then laterally outwardover said area parallel or substantially parallel thereto. Consequently,not only is the ceiling or wall area which is covered by said ring orplate completely shielded by said ring or plate against becomingsmudged, but the ceiling or wall area outwardly of said plate issubjected to minimum smudging. I

It has further been found that if the surface surrounding an air outletdevice is corrugated or provided with rounded hills and valleysextending transversely to the path of flow of air from the air outletdevice, a considerable amount of the dust contained in or picked up bythe air settles or is deposited primarily in the corrugations, leavingthe air more or less free of dust with correspondingly reducedcapability of causing smudging of the ceiling or wall surface outwardlyof the ring or plate. Accordingly, another special and important objectof the present invention is to corrugate the present anti-smudging ringor plate in the manner and for the purpose indicated. Periodically orwhenever considered necessary or desirable the ring or plate may, ofcourse, readily be cleaned to remove dust therefrom.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an antismudging ring orplate which may readily be produced economically and which embodies aconstruction whereby' it may readily be mounted in proper relationshipto an air outlet device.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will become more fullyapparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in an antismudging ring or plate embodying the novel featuresof construction and its novel association with an air outlet device asare illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing and aswill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the different views:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an air outlet device and of ananti-smudging ring constructed and operatively mounted relative theretoin accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view through a portion of the airoutlet device and the anti-smudging ring shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating an alternative form ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates, generally, an airoutlet device of a type with which the present anti-srnudging element isdesigned for use, and B designates, generally, an anti-smudging elementformed of passageways 12 which flare relative to the longitudinal axisof the device and through which the supplied air flows. The members 11serve to divide the supplied air into a plurality of separate streamsand to deflect the streamsmore or less laterally outward, wherebythe airis delivered more. or less laterally from the device in diffused,substantially draftless form.

As will be understood, the air outlet device A is not necessarily of thespecific construction illustrated, but may be of any other specificallydifferent construction such that air flows more or less laterallytherefrom. Moreover, said device A. may be of circular shape, asillustrated, or of any other shape such, for example, as square orsubstantially semi-circular as illustrated in my prior Patent No.2,300,049, of October 27, 1942.

The anti-smudging element B may be either in the form of a ring disposedin surrounding relationship to the air outlet device A, as shown, or itmay be of such other shape, depending upon the shape of the air outletdevice, as to cover that portion of a ceiling or wall over which air isdischarged from the air outlet device A. Moreover, said element B may beformed in any suitable manner from any suitable material and may beeither separate from of integral with the air outlet device A.

As aforesaid, an air outlet device such as the device A usually ismounted in an opening in a ceiling or wall C and has its front or airoutlet end disposed more or less in advance of the exposed surface ofsaid ceiling or wall. Hence, air discharged more or less laterally fromsuch an air outlet device flows outwardly across the exposed surface ofthe ceiling or wall C and is urged toward said surface because it tends,as aforesaid, to carry along therewith the air in the space between theair stream and the surface and thus creates in said space a low pressurezone into' which the stream is urged by the greater pressure of the roomor enclosure air in front of said stream. Accordingly, for the purposesof completely protecting the ceiling or wall area in the immediatevicinity of'the air outlet device A against the smudging effect of airflowing from the air outlet device and of directing the air parallel orsubstantially parallel across the exposed surface of the ceiling or wallC outwardly of the ring or plate B, the front or exposed face of saidring or plate B is of a contour to extend from the front end of the airoutlet device to the said exposed surface of the ceiling or wall C andto have a gradual rearward and outward or concave curvature, asindicated at 15, leading to an outer terminal portion 16 which isdisposed parallel or substantially parallel to and against or closelyadjacent to the exposed surface of the ceiling or wall C. Thus, the airin following the curvature of the front face of said ring or plate isled or guided first rearwardly and outwardly in a suitable curve to theexposed surface of the ceiling or wall C outwardly of said ring or plateand finally is directed across said surface parallel or substantiallyparallel thereto, whereby it has least tendency to cause smudging ofsaid surface. In this connection it will be understood that the ring orplate B is of a width to protectively cover a suitably wide portion ofthe ceiling or wall surface adjacent to the air outlet device A so thatsaid removable, readily cleanable ring or plate is subjected to a majoramount of the total smudging and the ceiling or wall surface outwardlyof said ring or plate is subjected to very little smudging.

As shown, the front or exposed face of the inner or forwardmost part 14of the element B may be convexly curved to guide the air in a smooth andregular curve from the outlet end of the device A to the concavelycurved portion 15 of the front face of said element B.

This, however, is not essential since the concave curvature of the frontface of the element B may begin at or adjacent to the front or outletend of the device A. This is particularly true in certain instanceswhere the member of an air outlet device may have at its front end afinishing flange 13 of a shape to lend itself as a transformation piecebetween the front end of the air outlet device and the ring or plate B.In any such instance the element B need be only concavely curved and bedisposed to constitute, in effect, an outward continuation of the flange13.

If desired, the front or exposed face of the element B may becontinuously smooth and uninterrupted, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawing. On the other hand, a suitable portion of said face maybe corrugated as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to provide anydesired number of rounded hills 17 and intermediate rounded valleys 18extending transversely to the direction of flow of air over said face.If such hills and valleys are provided, the air flowing over themcreates in the valleys eddy currents which have the effect of causingdust contained in or picked up by the air flowing over said face tosettle and collect in said valleys. Thus, by corrugating the element Bin the manner indicated, much of the dust contained in or picked up bythe. air will be removed by the corrugations before the air reaches theceiling or wall surface outwardly of the element B, whereby littlesmudging of said surface will occur.

If the element B is formed from sheet material it may readily, easilyand economically be produced by a stamping or spinning operation, and ifit should be formed from sheet material and have corrugations the latterserve also to stiffen and reinforce the same.

In any instance where the inner portion of the element B overlies thefinishing flange 13 of an air outlet device A, said element B may besecured in proper position relative to the air outlet device in anydesired manner as, for example, by being secured either to the airoutlet device or to the ceiling or other wall C by screws or othersuitable fasteners. On the other hand, the flange B may overlie theinner portion of the element B as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawingand thus act to retain said element against the ceiling or other wall Cin proper relationship to the air outlet device.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it is believed that the construction and operationof the present anti-smudging element for air outlet device will beclearly understood and its advantages appreciated. It is desired topoint out, however, that while only certain specific ernbodiments of theinvention have been illustrated and described, the same is readilycapable of specifically different embodiments within its spirit andscope as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an air outlet device mounted with its front orair discharge end in advance of the exposed surface of a ceiling or walland operable to effect lateral discharge of air over said surface, saidair outlet device having at its front end an outwardly extendingfinishing flange, an air guiding element of material width separate fromsaid air outlet device extending outwardly from said flange over arelatively wide portion of said surface and having its front or exposedface cooperating with the front or exposed face of said flange toprovide a surface a major portion of which is curved generallycontinuously and gradually rearwardly and outwardly toward said surfaceand terminates in a flat portion disposed adjacent andsubstantially'parallel to said surface.

2. In combination with an air outlet device mounted with its front ordischarge end in advance of and adjacent to a ceiling or wall surfaceand which is operable to effect lateral discharge of air over saidsurface, an air guiding element of substantial width extending laterallyoutward from the front end of said air outlet device and forming-acontinuation thereof, said element extending over a substantial portionof said ceiling or wall surface and having a major portion of its frontor exposed face continuously and gradually concavely curved outwardlyand rearwardly with respect to said ceiling or wall surface to guide airfrom the front end of said air outlet device toward said surface, saidelement terminating in a flat portion disposed adjacent andsubstantially parallel to said surface to guide the air substantiallyparallel to said surface.

3. In combination with an air outlet device mounted with its front orair discharge end adjacent to a ceiling or wall surface and which isoperable to effect lateral discharge of air over said surface, an airguiding element of substantial width extending laterally outward fromthe front end of said air outlet device and forming a continuationthereof, said element extending over a substantial portion of saidceiling or wall surface and having its front or exposed facecontinuously and gradually curved first convexly outwardly and forwardlyrelative to the front end of said device and then concavely outwardlyand rearwardly with respect to said ceiling or wall surface to guide airfrom the front end of said air outlet device toward said surface, saidelement terminating in a flat portion to lie adjacent to andsubstantially parallel to the ceiling or wall surface to guide the airsubstantially parallel to said surface.

4. An anti-smudging element for use in association with an air outletdevice of a type to be mounted with its front or air discharge endadjacent to and in advance of a ceiling or wall surface and which isoperable to eifect lateral discharge of air over said surface, saidelement being designed to be mounted to extend laterally outward fromthe front end of said device, said element being formed so that when itis so mounted its front face constitutes a continuation of the front endof said device, said element being of substantial width to overlie asubstantial portion of said surface, a major portion of the front orexposed face of said element being continuously and gradually concavelycurved outwardly and rearwardly to guide air from the front end of theair outlet device toward the ceiling or wall surface, said elementterminating in a flat portion to 'lie adjacent to and substantiallyparallel to the ceiling or wall surface to guide the air substantiallyparallel to said surface.

5. An anti-smudging element for use in association with an air outlet ofa type to be mounted with its front or air discharge end adjacent to aceiling or wall surface and which is operable to effect lateraldischarge of air over said surface, said element being designed to bemounted to extend laterally outward from the front end of said device,said element being formed so that when it is so mounted its front faceconstitutes a continuation of the front end of said device, said elementbeing of substantial Width to overlie a substantial portion of saidsurface, the front or exposed face of said element being continuouslyand gradually curved first convexly and then concavely outwardly andrearwardly to guide air from the front end of the air outlet devicetoward the ceiling or wall surface, said element terminating in a flatportion to lie adjacent to and substantially parallel to the ceiling orwall surface to guide the air substantially parallel to said surface.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which the front or exposedface of the anti-smudging element embodies corrugations extendingtransversely to the direction of flow of air from the air outlet deviceover said element.

7. An anti-smudging element as set forth in claim 4 in which the frontor exposed face of said element embodies corrugations extendingtransversely to the direction of flow of air from the air outlet deviceover said surface.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which the air guidingelement encompasses the air outlet device.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 3 in which the air guidingelement encompasses the air outlet device.

10. An anti-smudging element as set forth in claim 4, said element beingof ring-like form to encompass the air outlet device.

11. An anti-smudging element as set forth in claim 5, said element beingof ring-like form to encompass the air outlet device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,414,209 Rogers et al Apr. 25, 1922 2,337,280 Serre et al. Dec. 21,1943 2,355,294 Herbster Aug. 8, 1944 2,369,303 Kurth et al. Feb. 13,1945 2,380,553 Serre et al July 21, 1945 2,432,289 Dauphinee Dec. 9,1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,955 Sweden Nov. 19, 1892 20,981 Great BritainJuly 28, 1904 112,969 Sweden Ian. 23, 1945 136,861 Switzerland Feb. 17,1930

